From NHRA | NHRA National Dragster staff
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2023) – Counting his PSM Championship Wally, Gaige Herrera has a special 12-pack to forever remind himself of an amazing 2023 season.
Herrera has been making history in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class all season, and he made more of it in the Pomona final with a record-setting 11th win of the season. Herrera, who locked up the season championship simply by qualifying for the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, raced his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods teammate for the fifth time this season and remained perfect with a 6.721 to 6.796 victory.
Herrera finished the season with an other-worldly 50-4 record in elimination rounds following victories against Blaine Hale, LE Tonglet, and Steve Johnson.
"This whole year has been surreal. I have to give it up to my whole team, especially Andrew [Hines, crew chief] He really deserves this," said Herrera. "Last week, he texted me and said he was ready to go to Pomona and get this deal done. It’s so cool to get a text like that from someone like him.
In the final, Ed and I were just having fun. I knew he wasn’t going to stage first. He rapped the throttle a couple of times and I was tempted to look over at him but I figured if I did, he’d quick stage and I’d get timed out. I really want him to win his 50th race but I just can’t give it to him. He wants to earn it and I don’t blame him. I’d feel the same way.
Today, it was a little hard to get into race mode,” Herrera said. “We celebrated a bit last night but I love to race and I was just able to put everything in the back of my mind and come out and race.”
Krawiec, has also had a great season despite going winless. He finished the year with four straight runner-up finishes as he continues to seek his landmark 50th career win. The four-time world champ stopped Chris Bostick, Marc Ingwersen, and Hector Arana Jr. to reach his 96th career final round.
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